Magnetic Fields - Jean Michel Jarre > Reviews > Still A Classic

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	It's excellent
Disadvantages:	Are there any?

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Good old Maggie Fields (as I am wont to call it)! It's as good today as it was when it was written. It's different enough from his other albums to stand out.

Magnetic Fields Part 1- There are several different sections to part one and i do like them all. I like the 1st bit because it's upbeat but sufficiently trancy enough for modern clubbers to still enjoy & want to buy as a chill out but it's still something you could dance to. That's basically the opening 6 minutes.

You then get a quietish section which eventually becomes a track I am convinced sounds a whole lot like Fishing Junks At Sunset (from Concerts In China) & I love the very strong synthy violin style chords - it always make me think of an epic voyage by boat on a powerful ocean. That takes you to about the 11 minute mark.

I really like those Jet engines (or whatever they are) that are used to introduce this section as if you listen on headphones they actually fly right over your head! It's a very good dervish type song, another one that would be good for todays dance crowd. i used love going out to run to it as its quite uplifting.

Magnetic Fields Part 2 - It's known and loved It's been used on the telly & for adverts, its been copied by every synth band known to man I think it was also used on the C64 version of Bombjack as background music.

Magnetic Fields Part 3 - the track that reminds me of Orient Express (again from Concerts In China) because of the train sounds on the intro, This is a very "plinky plonky " track. Not a favourite of mine though. One of the weaker tracks on the album I feel.

Magnetic Fields Part 4 - I like it, it stands alone as a good track. It's well put together, It fits with the other tracks on the album well. The vocoder is quite cool (you know this is what made bands like Air want to become musicians!) but I alway feel it could have been a little bit better.

Magnetic Fields Part 5 - Better known as The Last Rhumba. I love this track, it couldn't be any funnier if it tried. No-one takes it seriously & I don't think their supposed to either. It's camp, and it just does not care at all. I don't think Jean-Michel ever really intended it to be on this album but was told he had to have a certain amount of running time and put this track on as joke that only he knows the punchline to.